It was morning.
Naruto was already dressed. He wore black trousers and a blue shirt.
He was ready to start the day.
Knock knock knock.
Three knocks echoed at the door. Naruto turned and walked over to open it.
And sure enough, standing in front of the door was Tenten, wearing a knee-length skirt paired with black stockings and a black T-shirt. But Naruto wasn't focused on her outfit.
His eyes landed on Tenten… and her new hairstyle.
A messy bun, styled freely with a few bangs falling across her forehead.
Tenten smiled. "What's wrong? Am I that pretty?" she teased, noticing how Naruto just stood there, staring at her deeply, tempting her to tease him even more.
But...
Naruto nodded slowly. He stepped closer, his hand reaching out gently until it touched Tenten's cheek.
"Yes… you really are beautiful," he said calmly, without exaggeration.
Puff...
Like a balloon losing air, Tenten's confidence deflated instantly. Her face turned as red as a tomato.
She looked away, unable to hold Naruto's gaze.
Naruto noticed but simply brushed her hair softly. "Alright then, let's go… weren't we going on a date?"
Tenten was still in a daze, but Naruto didn't wait. He reached for her hand and held it tightly.
"W-Wait, Naruto…" Tenten tried to pull her hand back.
But Naruto's grip was firm. She finally gave in.
They walked leisurely, enjoying whatever sights the road had to offer.
The atmosphere was quiet, yet not awkward.
Tenten wanted to speak, but didn't know how to start.
Suddenly, Naruto squeezed her hand gently, causing Tenten to glance at him.
She peeked at him briefly. "So, where are we going?"
"Where are we going?" Tenten repeated, thinking for a moment.
"How about shopping?" she answered casually.
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly. "That sounds fun," he replied with a smile.
"But… we're on a date. How about we save that for another time? Right now…"
Naruto paused. Tenten looked at him, then caught a gentle smile forming on his face.
"Let's go to the park?" he suggested lightly.
"The park?" Tenten raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Well… it's a date, after all. And the best way to—maybe—"
Ahh!
An idea suddenly struck Naruto, cutting off his own words.
He quickly pulled Tenten into a tight hug, surprising her.
"N-Naruto, what are you doing?" Her voice trembled, as did her hands.
"Shhh… quiet."
Naruto's eyes scanned the surroundings, making sure no one was following them.
"No one nearby," Kurama's voice confirmed from inside him.
Naruto nodded slightly. And then, in an instant—
Hiraishin.
A yellow flash lit up. In the blink of an eye, they were transported outside the village.
"T-This…" Tenten's eyes widened in shock.
"Where are we? Weren't we just in the village? How did you do that?" she asked in a hushed but curious tone.
Naruto looked at her and smiled. "Hehe, surprised?"
Tenten nodded. "Yeah… but where is this? And how did you do it?"
Seeing her lips move nonstop with questions, Naruto couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"Wanna know? Do you really wanna know?" he teased lightly.
Tenten pouted. "Don't joke around!" she snapped. Her eyes widened in warning.
Naruto sighed. "I'll tell you. But… do you still want to hug me?"
"Hug?" Tenten was confused. She glanced down—and sure enough, she was still in Naruto's arms.
Instantly, she shoved him hard, knocking him to the ground.
"Ow! That was mean…" Naruto groaned.
"Shut up!" Tenten snapped. Her face flushed—whether from anger or embarrassment, even she couldn't tell.
"Hey! You're mad over something so small?" Naruto stood up and walked closer. He grabbed both of Tenten's hands.
"You're the one who hugged me earlier," he whispered softly.
Tenten reacted quickly. She clenched her fists and tried to hit him.
Unfortunately, Naruto dodged and walked away.
"Ugh! Naruto! Wait!" Tenten called out, chasing after him, but Naruto just kept speeding up.
A playful chase began until Naruto suddenly stopped.
Bam!
Tenten bumped into him from behind.
Instead of getting angry, she just let out a small groan. "Stop… I'm tired…" Her breathing was heavy.
Naruto turned around. "Oh, sorry," he said nonchalantly. "You don't exercise much anyway. Think of it as a warm-up."
"You!" Tenten clenched her fists and glared, but didn't do anything. She spotted a large rock nearby and sat on it.
"So? Where are we really going?" she finally asked, giving in.
Her voice sounded tired, even though she wasn't really that exhausted.
Naruto turned to her. "You'll see."
"See? When?" Tenten replied.
A smile returned to Naruto's face. He walked up to her and reached out his hand.
"Come on… you'll see soon. For now, let's just enjoy the journey."
Tenten stayed quiet. She was annoyed by the vague answer, but seeing Naruto's face and his outstretched hand, she took it.
"Fine… but you better not be dragging me around for nothing!" she warned, her tone sharp.
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto replied casually, ending the conversation.
They started walking again, passing rows of trees and following a small path.
Some leaves were carried by the wind, while others fell and got stepped on.
There was no talking. No eye contact. Just the sound of footsteps and their hands gently clasped together.
But somehow, it felt warm.
Tenten felt it. Naruto's hand, slightly rough but soft enough, gave her comfort.
She turned to look at his firm face from the side.
But soon, her gaze returned to the path ahead.
"This… isn't so bad," she muttered softly with a smile.
Naruto heard her, but said nothing. He simply enjoyed the peaceful silence.
A silence without a name, formed unintentionally. And he held her hand a little tighter.
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Damn it!!
I was sick for 2 days and my mother scolded me and said that it was all because I kept playing on my phone.
And you know what? My damn brother reset my phone. And I ended up losing a lot of data.. I can't even make this again now.
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